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Jodl, Alfred Josef Ferdinand

Date of birth:
May 10th, 1890 (Würzburg/Unterfranken, German Empire)
Date of death:
October 16th, 1946 (Nuremberg/Bavaria, Germany)
Mentioned on:
Wenzbach
Nationality:
German

Biography

Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl was born May 10th, 1890, as Alfred Baumgärtler, son of the Bavarian Hauptmann der Artillerie Johannes Jodl and Therese Baumgärtler. His parents were not married, partly because Johannes Jodl’s family considered a farmer’s daughter not good enough for someone from a military familiy. Yet they married in 1899 after Johannes Jodl had left the army. He was the brother of Ferdinand Jodl.
Alfred Jodl married Irma Gräfin von Bullion in September 1913. Irma passed away on April 18th, 1944 in Königsberg. Jodl remarried Luisa Katharina von Benda on March 7th, 1945.
Jodl was among the 24 prime defendants during the Nuremburg Tribunal. October 1st, 1946, he was found guilty on all four counts of the indictment. Jodl was sentenced to death by hanging. Right after the verdict, doubts and disagreements rose among the Allies as to the legality of the verdict. Objections were rejected nonetheless. The death sentence was carried out in Nuremburg on Octobver 16th, 1946. His body was cremated and the ashes were strewn in the river Isar.

In the years following, Luisa von Benda fought for rehabilitation of her husband. In Munich she succeeded in getting a court sentence in which the original verdict was amended on two counts. Had Jodl still been alive, he would not have been sentenced to death on basis of this sentence. The verdict was declared legal on March 2nd, 1953. The American Occupation Authorities did not accept the verdict and it was subsequently reserved. The American authorities and Luisa von Benda ultimately reached an agreement, releasing Jodl’s inheritance and enabling his widow to claim her next of kin pension without the verdict of the Nuremburg Tribunal being revoked. Subsequently, on September 3rd, 1953, the Bavarian Department of Justice revoked the earlier verdict of March 2nd.
Alfred Jodl’s name was engraved on the Jodl family tombstone on Fraueninsel (Chiemsee).

Promotions:
July 1910: Fähnrich;
October 28th, 1912: Leutnant;
1916: Oberleutnant;
July 1921: Rittmeister;
1923: Hauptmann;
February 1st, 1932: Major;
August 1st, 1935: Oberst;
April 1st, 1939: Generalmajor;
July 19th, 1940: General der Artillerie;
January 30th, 1944: Generaloberst.

Career:
1895: Volksschule, Landau;
1899: Volksschule, München;
?: Theresien-Gymnasium, München;
1903 - 1910: Royal Bavarian Cadetcorps, Munich;
July 1910: 4. Bavarian Fieldartilleryregiment, Augsburg;
1911 - 1912: Bavarian Warschool, Munich;
?: 4. Bavarian Fieldartilleryregiment, Augsburg;
1917: Batteriekommandant, 72. k. ungarischen Feldkanonen-Regiment;
1918: Generalstabsoffizier;
June 1919: Batterieführer, leichten Artillerie-Regiment 22;
October 1st, 1919: Reichswehrartillerie-Regiment 21, Landsberg am Lech;
?: Führergehilfenlehrgang I, München;
?: Batteriechef, Artillerie-Regiment 21;
October 1st, 1923: Führergehilfenlehrgang II, Berlin;
May 1924: Reichswehrministerium, Berlin;
October 1924: Stabsoffizier, 7. Division, München;
October 1st, 1927: Chef, 5. Batterie, Artillerieregiment 7;
1928 - 1932: Tutor Tactic and Warhistory;
June 1st, 1932: Gruppenleiter, Operationsabteilung, Truppenamt, Reichswehrministerium;
June 20th, 1935: Chef, Abteilung Landesverteidigung, Wehrmachtführungsamt (WFA);
1938: Chef Wehrmachtführungsamt (WFA), Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW);
October 1st, 1938: Artilleriekommandeur 44. Infanterie-Division;
August 23rd, 1939: Chef des Wehrmachtführungsamtes;
May 13th, 1945: Acting Chief OKW;
May 232rd, 1945: Arrested by British troops;
?: PoW camp 32 (Camp Ashcan), Bad Mondorf;

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Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:
Leutnant
Awarded on:
November 20th, 1914
Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse (1914)
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:
Oberleutnant
Awarded on:
May 3rd, 1918
Eisernes Kreuz 1.Klasse (1914)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Awarded on:
September 30th, 1939

Had already received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 20th November 1914.
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Awarded on:
December 23rd, 1939

Had already received the Iron Cross 1st Class on 3rd May 1918.
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 1er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
General der Artillerie (Lieutenant-General of Artillerie)
Awarded on:
March 25th, 1942

Awarded with swords.
Vapaudenristin 1.luokka rintatähtineen (VR 1 rt)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
General der Artillerie (Lieutenant-General of Artillerie)
Awarded on:
January 30th, 1943
Goldenes Ehrenzeichen der NSDAP
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
General der Artillerie (Lieutenant-General of Artillerie)
Awarded on:
December 23rd, 1943
Ordinul Mihai Viteazul Clasa 3
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
General der Artillerie (Lieutenant-General of Artillerie)
Awarded on:
December 23rd, 1943
Ordinul Mihai Viteazul Clasa 2
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generaloberst (General)
Awarded on:
July 20th, 1944

Presented on September 2nd, 1944.
Verwundetenabzeichen 20 juli 1944 in Schwarz
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generaloberst (General)
Unit:
Chef des Wehrmachtführungsstabes / Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
Awarded on:
May 6th, 1945
Aanbeveling:
After having served many years as Chef der Abteilung Landesverteidigung in the former Wehrmachtsamt des Kriegsministers and Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht, since February 4th, 1938 as Chief of the Wehrmacht-Amt in the Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht, after having served one year at the front as Artillerie-Kommandeur Vienna, since September 1st, 1939, (start of the Polish campaign), Chief of the Wehrmachtführungsstab in the Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht, having held this post without interruption until today; after completion of the campaign in the west having been promoted from General-major to General der Artillerie and Generaloberst since January 30th, 1944. Last important task on May 6th, 1944 negotiations with Eisenhower.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generaloberst (General)
Unit:
Chef, Wehrmachtführungsstab, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, Wehrmacht
Awarded on:
May 7th, 1945
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub
Awarded in further recognition of his wartime contributions by Admiral Dönitz just before the end of the war.

The formal awarding of the Eichenlaub to Jodl is uncertain but with a "Vermerk", official note in the Heerespersonalamt. The formal awarding was supposedly taken by Dönitz himself and the Eichenlaub was presented by Dönitz to Jodl on May 10th, 1945.
The numbering of official awardings had stopped at 843. accoridng to the presumed date, this should have been the 865th award.
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)

With swords
IV. Klasse des Militärverdienstordens
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)

With war decoration
Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse
Prinzregent Luitpold-Medaille
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht  2. Klasse, 18 Jahre
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht  3.Klasse, 12 Jahre
Deutsches Reiterabzeichen

Sources